The Aloof Junior Brother I Was Supposed To Be Is Actually A Hopeless Romantic! - Chapter 8

“Just get going already, you little troublemaker!”

Zhang Yu grumbled under his breath. His words sounded like a rejection, but his expression held not a hint of annoyance. Instead, it was filled with fondness. Chen Ji’s good nature made him incredibly popular in Tianyun City. As a cultivator, he possessed no arrogance or coldness. He was bright, sunny, and always kind to others. His smooth talking was the cherry on top, consistently putting people in a good mood.

Zhang Yu happened to be one of those who liked him, so while he complained out loud, he did not harbor a single negative feeling in his heart.

After thanking Zhang Yu, Chen Ji headed toward the lotus pond. Having worked there before, he knew exactly where it was and stepped forward to lead the way. On the road to the pond, they encountered several locals who stopped him for a chat. By the time they finally left the city, nearly half an hour had passed.

A short distance from the canal lay the lotus ponds dug by the city’s merchants. They channeled water from the canal into the ponds and then let it flow back, creating a circulating system that formed the ten mile lotus ponds outside Tianyun City. However, as it was early spring, the lotuses had only just begun to sprout. Without the vast expanses of green leaves, the ponds looked somewhat desolate and barren.

Although it was not the season for harvesting lotus roots, it was a prime time for fishing. On their way to Zhang Yu’s pond, they saw many people catching fish. Some enthusiastic locals even gifted Chen Ji a large fish weighing over eight pounds.

After more chatting along the way, they finally arrived at Zhang Yu’s lotus pond. From a distance, Chen Ji spotted seven or eight Tianyun Sect disciples in blue and white robes standing by the water. He quickened his pace, terrified that someone else might snatch the commission.

As he drew closer, he realized the leader was Jiang Cichao. “Senior Brother Cichao, why are you here?” Chen Ji asked in surprise.

“A-Ji, why are you here?” Jiang Cichao asked happily.

Liu Jingyun and Qiu Lingzhou stepped in front of Chen Ji simultaneously, blocking him completely from view.

“We are here to deal with the monster in the Zhang family pond,” Liu Jingyun said.

“If you have nothing else to do, you can get lost,” Qiu Lingzhou added.

The two of them spoke one after the other with extreme arrogance. Chen Ji’s blood pressure spiked with anger. He scolded them, “How can you speak to Senior Brother Cichao like that? Where are the manners you were supposed to have learned?”

“A-Ji, you do not need to blame them,” Jiang Cichao said. “The true personalities of Junior Brother Jingyun and Junior Brother Lingzhou are known to everyone in the Tianyun Sect. I would find it strange if they did not act this way. But A-Ji, since you brought them down the mountain, does Emerald Bamboo Peak need silver again?”

Chen Ji knew it. Whenever they came down the mountain, the other disciples could guess with their toes that they were out to earn money. He blamed his two unfilial sons for making their small peak the center of such attention.

However, Chen Ji had his pride. “We are not short on money. I just brought them down for some experience.”

“Zhimu only joined the sect yesterday and has not even learned the basic mental cultivation methods,” Jiang Cichao noted. “And you are already bringing him down for experience?”

Hearing this, Chen Ji immediately felt guilty toward Feng Zhimu. It was the fault of his three unreliable senior brothers that the little junior brother had to accompany them on a money-making trip on his second day.

“Following Big Senior Brother is very interesting,” Feng Zhimu said. “Big Senior Brother is very popular. As soon as we entered the city, people were greeting him and giving us plenty of food.”

“I know,” Jiang Cichao replied. “Before you three came to Emerald Bamboo Peak, Uncle Haiyang was often away. A-Ji was all alone on the mountain. When he was bored, he would go down to play with the townspeople. A-Ji has a great personality, so everyone likes him.”

“I call that building good karma,” Chen Ji said proudly. “The more friends you have, the more paths you have. Besides, the people in Tianyun City are wonderful, which is why they treat me so well.”

Jiang Cichao’s eyes filled with warmth. “The times spent with A-Ji in the past were truly wonderful.”

“A-Ji, we have serious business to do. How long are you going to chat with him?” Liu Jingyun stood behind Chen Ji and naturally wrapped his arm around Chen Ji’s waist. He raised his brows and looked at Jiang Cichao with dark, emotionless eyes.

Jiang Cichao saw the provocation in that gaze. His fingers twitched as he slowly clenched his hand into a fist. He quickly regained his composure and pulled a pouch of silver from his sleeve. “A-Ji, this is the pocket money my master gave me. If you have an urgent need, take it.” He pressed the pouch into Chen Ji’s hand.

Chen Ji tried to push it back. “No need, no need! Sect Leader Shibo gave me pocket money yesterday too!”

In truth, that silver was for Feng Zhimu, so he did not dare use it carelessly.

“A-Ji, do I not know your situation?” Jiang Cichao looked at Liu Jingyun and Qiu Lingzhou. “To support these two, you started looking for work in the city at such a young age. You worked so hard to raise them. Do they remember a single bit of your kindness?”

“I was the one who raised A-Ji with great effort,” Liu Jingyun interrupted. “If it were not for me feeding him three meals a day.”

“I am your father! You unfilial son, do not you dare start a rebellion!” Chen Ji cut Liu Jingyun off sharply. He thought to himself, I can feed myself just fine. What does it have to do with you?

“A-Ji, you are being mean to me in front of so many people,” Liu Jingyun said with a hint of grievance in his voice.

Chen Ji rubbed his forehead in frustration. He did not want to keep bickering and turned to Jiang Cichao. “Senior Brother Cichao, why exactly are you here?”

“I am on patrol under my master’s orders,” he explained. “When I met Uncle Li, he mentioned the strange occurrences at Master Zhang’s pond. We have already investigated it. There is no demonic aura. It is likely just an ordinary weasel stealing chickens from somewhere and eating them here.”

Hearing this, Chen Ji felt a wave of disappointment. He had been counting on that silver to buy bricks and tiles. Now that hope was gone.

“A-Ji, take this silver for now. Return it to me once you have passed this difficult time,” Jiang Cichao said, stuffing the money back into Chen Ji’s hand. “I still have to finish my patrol, so I will not stay long.”

After giving the money, Jiang Cichao led the patrolling disciples away. Chen Ji was still being held firmly by Liu Jingyun and could not break free, so he could only watch them leave.

“It is just a bit of silver. Why does Senior Brother need his money? I can earn it myself!” Qiu Lingzhou said arrogantly before turning to walk away.

“Qiu Lingzhou, where are you going?” Chen Ji called out. “Mumu, go and keep an eye on him for me.”

“I, I.” Feng Zhimu was a bit afraid of Qiu Lingzhou.

“Do not be afraid!” Chen Ji reassured him. “If he dares to lose you or treat you badly, tell me when you get back and I will make him pay! Go keep an eye on him now and do not let him cause trouble!”

“Yes!” With Chen Ji’s backing, Feng Zhimu found his courage and hurried after Qiu Lingzhou.

Now that Qiu Lingzhou was being watched, Chen Ji patted the arms of Liu Jingyun, who still refused to let go. “How much longer are you going to hold me?”

“I will let go when A-Ji stops being mean to me.”

“What? You think you are in the right?”

”  (Jingyun has always been this way). Why is A-Ji still not used to it?”

“You! You brat, you have an excuse for everything! Let go of me. We still need to earn money for wood today!”

No matter how hard Chen Ji struggled, he could not escape Liu Jingyun’s grasp. After a while, he was nearly exhausted and gave in. “Fine, it is my fault. It is my fault for not being used to your bad temper. Can you let go now?”

“A-Ji’s apology is so insincere and perfunctory.”

“Then how do you want me to apologize?”

“Hold Jingyun’s face and say you were wrong with sincerity.”

Chen Ji grit his teeth in anger. It was clearly Liu Jingyun’s fault, so why had it become his? He blamed himself for spoiling these two unfilial sons too much in the past. He had truly ruined them!